A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

(nn) The truth and antiquity of the two last Chap∣ters, that contain the History of Susanna and of Bel, are mightily doubted Africanus, Eusebius, and Apolli•…•… reject both these Stories as fabulous, and maintain they were not written by Daniel, but that they make a part of the Prophecy of H•…•… St. Jerome seems to be of this opinion in his Preface upon Daniel. Origen has defended the truth of this History, without being willing to affirm that it was Canonical. The Author of the Book of the Wonderful things in Scripture attribu∣ted to St. Austin, Tom. 3. lib. 2. chap. 32. does not mention the History of Susanna, and rejects that of Bel. Theodoret in his Comments upon Da∣niel speaks not a word of these Histories. Nice∣phorus places the History of Susanna amongst the Apocryphal Books. The Action of Susanna is re∣lated and commended by Clemens Alexandrinus, l. 4. Strom. by Tertullian, libr. de Corona, c. 4. by St. Cyprian, Ep. 4. by St. Austin in his 118th Ser∣mon, and in several other places; by St. Basil, lib. 3. de Spir. sancto. cap. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. by St. Ambrose, lib. 2. de Spir. Sancto; by St. Chrysostome in an Homily which is in Tom. 5. by Gregory Nazianzene in his 29th Oration; by Avitus in his Epistle to his Si∣ster; by St. Fulgentius in his Answers to Ferran∣dus; and by Bede. The Author of the Abridg∣ment attributed to St. Athanasius, and Ruffinus, seem to own it for a Canonical Book, as well as St. Ambrose, and Sulpitius Severus. The Objecti∣ons that are urged against this History are these. In the first place they tell us; that the History of Susanna could not happen when Daniel was a youth, as he is called in that Story. For in the 13th Chapter, verse 65. it is observed, that Astyages was dead, and Cyrus reigned in his place. Now Daniel was then well in years. Answer. This Hi∣story happened a long time before, and as for the above mentioned passage it is put out of its place. For in the ancient Versions it is placed at the be∣ginning of the Book of Daniel, and 'tis therefore set at the end of it in the Vulgar Edition, because it is not to be found in the Hebrem Text. Wherefore these words of the 13th Chapter, verse 65. And King Astyages was gathered to his Fathers, do not at all concern the History of Susanna, but that of Bel, which immediately follows, and ac∣cordingly in the Edition of Sixtus Quintus it is joyned to it.

Africanus objects, that it is not credible, that Joachim the Husband of Susanna was so rich and powerful in the Captivity, as he is said to be in that Book; nor that the Captive Jews had authority to condemn their own Criminals. To this Ori∣gen answers, That the Jews that were carried a∣way Captives into Babylon were not plundered, but that they were both rich and powerful, and that there is a great deal of reason to believe they had authority to judge and condemn their Male∣factors by their own Laws, as they had afterwards, when they were conquered by the Romans. In the second place, Africanus raises an Objection about an allusion that is to be found in this Hi∣story, where Daniel is introduced discoursing to the Elders in certain words, that allude to the Greek names of the Trees, under which they found Susanna committing wickedness. For the first of them having said, that it was under a Mastick Tree, in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he answered him, that an Angel should cut him in two, because the word

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies in Greek to cut asunder; and the other having said, that it was under a Holm-Oak 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he makes use of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which allusions, says Africanus, makes it appear, that it was a Greek that wrote these things. On the other hand Origen answers, that Daniel never made use of these terms, or names of Trees, but of some other Hebrew or Chaldee word, to which the Verb that signifies to cut asunder, answered, and that the Greek Interpreter endeavoured to render this sense by finding out some names of Trees, which alluded to those Greek Verbs that signifie to cut asunder: And thus in Genesis, when it is said in the He∣brew, that a Woman is called Isha, the feminine of the word Ish that signifies a Man, the Latin Translation has rendred it haec vocabitur virgo, and in the Greek, Symmachus has translated it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is a better word than 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that the Septua∣gint have used.

'Tis commonly objected against the History of Bel, that the ancient Title in the Septuagint at∣tributes it to Habakkuk, and that the Daniel men∣tioned in that History was a Priest; 'tis therefore another Daniel to whom all this happened. Answer. St. Jerome observes, that the Greek In∣terpreter of Daniel, whose Version goes under the name of the Septuagint, has allowed himself a great deal of liberty. Secondly, 'tis said, that Ha∣bakkuk, who lived in the time of Manasses, was dead about that time. Likewise 'tis replied by way of answer, that we ought to distinguish be∣tween the two Habakkuks, one that was a Pro∣phet and lived in the time of Manasses, and the other who is spoken of in this place of Daniel, the last was of the Tribe of Levi, the former of Si∣meon. Lastly they tell us, that in the History of Bel and the Dragon it is said, that Daniel was six days in the Lions Den, whereas in the sixth Chap∣ter, v. 19. we are told that he continued there but one night. But to this they answer, that Daniel was twice cast into the Lions Den, under Darius, because he prayed to his God contrary to the ex∣press command of that King, and under Cyrus up∣on occasion of the Dragon. The Prophecy of Da∣niel is quoted by Ezechiel, chap. 14. v. 14. in the first Book of the Maccabees, chap. 2. v. 59. and 60. Matth. 24. v. 15.